LETTER: Wakefield Council executive’s pay can’t be vindicated

Published:09:06Friday 14 April 2017

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Jean Norfolk, via email

No matter how much Helen Grantham tries to vindicate the inflated salary paid to the new chief executive of Wakefield Council, it won’t alter the fact that she will be paid more than the Prime Minister.

As reader Paul Pocklington states “the Prime Minister has a slightly higher number of staff and budget” under her control than the leader of a district council. She also bears a far greater responsibility to millions of people.

Helen Grantham’s explanation for the large salary offered to Merran McRae was that they had in effect “shopped around” for the right person and were paying her “the going rate” for her position. Who could blame the public for thinking that “the going rate” for council executives is way too high, and this is where huge savings could be made?